Lion Vs. Unicorn: EndGame
by Krystyna
Summary: Wesley goes to Scotland after receiving news of Cole's accident. Once there he finds himself training Alex and in the middle of another battle, against Seth , however she is not without allies.This time the grandchildren of the current Council stand with
1. Default Chapter

Lion Vs. Unicorn: Endgame  
  
Disclaimer: All characters, events and places are for entertainment purposes only. No copyright violation is intended. All original characters, events and places are property of the author but may be used by other fan fiction writers provided they ask first.  
Warning: Violence, Mild Language  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Prologue:  
Giles'voice: Alexandria Drummond came into this world by exceptional circumstances. She was born to the son of Seth, leader of the Council.   
Her mother turned only minutes after Alexandria's birth, her father was devastated, and shocked when he saw his daughter was part vampire.   
I am her godfather and made her father the promise that if anything should happen to him before she turned 21, I would help take care of her. I had hoped I would never have to.  
  
Spike's voice: She caused quite a stir while in Sunnydale, hunting a vampire named Cypen. She found out that the vampire she had been tracking, since the death of her father, had made his home in LA.   
  
Giles: Alexandria was headed that way next, she wanted to see Faith. I helped her with the bus ticket to LA, and bid her God speed.  
  
Angel's voice: She came to L.A. to return the favor to a friend who saved her life from Adern long ago, and in the process made another enemy out of Wolfram and Hart.  
  
Cordelia's voice: Things became even more complicated, when she was bitten by Adern, and received the vampire name of Aricia. Then we found out that Seth was in town.  
  
Wesley: One final battle to end, we had no idea, how it would end, who would live and who would die.   
  
Angel: In the end, it was just a beginning.  
End Prologue  



	2. A Call to Action

~~~~~~~~~~  
Time flew by for Wesley, he opened the door to his apartment, locked the door behind him and collapsed onto his sofa.  
~~~~~~~~~~  
The following day Wesley found himself on the verge of an argument with Cordelia over something silly.   
  
"Excuse me?" A delivery man interrupted. "Would one of you sign for this?"  
  
Cordelia grabbed for the pen, signed it and handed it to Wesley. "Its for you."  
  
"Really?" Curious Wesley tore it open and began reading.  
  
"Its from Alex." Cordelia told him peering over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Alexandria stepped on to the balcony of her Scottish castle.   
It was sunset, she's been blessed to see the sun rise and sun set in many places in her life, but nothing came close to the ones here. Cole was always reminding her that she should enjoy them now, because she may not always get to see them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I've tried calling, e-mailing...." Wesley told Gunn.  
  
"Have you tried smoke signals?" joked Cordelia.  
A tall, white skinned gentleman with sandy blond hair appeared in the doorway. "Angel Investigations, I presume?"  
"How can we help you?" Cordelia flashed a smile.  
  
"My name is Angelo, Cole sent me." His clear green eyes had Cordelia tongue tied.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
Seth drummed his fingers on the stack of colored file folders he had been reading for the past few weeks.   
"Two months," he thought, "she's managed to get back into the country after the problem in LA."   
As if that wasn't enough, she's got a new Watcher, Cole Ryan. Cole had taken over the role of Watcher, and thorn in Seth's side.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How do we know, you are who you say you are?" asked Wesley.  
  
Angelo put down his shoulder bag and reached for his jacket pocket. Upon opening it, he took out a small box and handed it to Wesley.   
  
"Say we believe you, why are you here?" Wesley stared at the contents in the box.  
  
Out of the shoulder bag Angelo placed folders and spread some pictures on the counter.   
"That used to be Cole's car." Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia's eyes widened at the pictures of the car twisted around a tree.  
  
"What happened?" Gunn asked.  
  
"We're not totally sure. Alex is still very shaken and refuses to talk about it. Before she clamed up, she thought they were being chased by another car."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Six days and counting, Angelo hadn't contacted her, and she was getting concerned.   
Isla's commanding presence seemed to ease her mind a bit.   
Cole was still in the hospital, her life seemed to be spinning out of control again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Gunn asked Wesley.  
  
"No, but, someone has to be there for her." Wesley plopped the last bag in the back of Angelo's rental.  
  
"Are you sure this is what she wants?" Cordy asked.  
  
"No, but I think she'll understand."  
  
"You feel guilty." Cordelia pointed out.  
  
"That's absurd." snapped Wesley.  
  
"Oh yes you are. You find her a Watcher and then he gets into an accident...."  
  
"Shut up Cordelia." Wesley snapped again.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Who is it Isla?" She walked towards the front hall with a tartan shawl on her arm and leather bag at her side.  
  
"You should be resting." Angelo told her when he saw her.  
  
"You have no right to lecture me. You who disappear for almost a week without telling me..." she began the lecture as he crossed his arms on his chest.  
  
Wesley stepped inside and was shocked. If he didn't know better he would have sworn he was looking at Faith.   
Aside from changing her hair color from red to black, she looked terrible, dark circles and bags hung around her eyes.   
Her black jeans and black wool sweater seemed to fit her mood.  
  
"Alex..." Angelo opened his mouth to explain.  
  
"I'm late, excuse me." She pushed passed Angelo and into Wesley. "We'll talk later." And left.  
  
"Well, that was pleasant, let's get you a room."  
  
~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Allies

~~~~~~~~~  
The fire was going when she got there. Isis spotted her first and her violet eyes greeted her.   
"What?" She tugged at Isis' black hair full of green glitter.  
  
"Jack's got guards on Cole's room." Isis beamed at the accomplishment. She seemed to have Jack wrapped around her finger at times.   
The rustling sound alerted them to the arrival of Marcus, Gwen, Jonathan and Bane gathered around the fire.  
  
"Where's Elizabeth?" Bane and that Irish accent of his, always questioning things.  
  
"Sorry." A hazel eyed, olive skinned, blond flopped down huffing and puffing. "What did I miss?"  
  
"How's Cole?" Gwen began to shake, she worried so much when they weren't together. If they found out, there was no telling what would happen to them.  
  
"Fine." Alex told her.   
  
"Better," Isis replied, "Jack's got guards on his room."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
"With all due respect to your fiancee Isis, should not one of us be with him? At least part of the time?" Questioned Gwen braiding her long blond hair.  
  
"Gwen, as much as I agree with you, we need to keep our distance." Jonathan, was half Native American, reminded her, tying back his long brown hair.   
"He's close to being on the outs and we will be as well if we don't. You know, I had two tails that I had to lose before coming here."   
Gwen went white as some rustling noise was heard in the forest behind her.  
  
Bane and Marcus were up in a flash, daggers or stakes were brought out by all, ready to do battle if the need arise.   
Bane followed the short brown hair of Marcus into the forest behind Gwen. A few minutes later three figures came tumbling out and stopped just short of the fire.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
Wesley found himself on the short end of the stake or dagger, depending where he looked.   
Bane, had a stubble of a beard and mustache, wasn't a large Irishman, but he had the strength of five men, as Wesley soon found out as Bane picked him up off the ground and his feet never touching the ground.  
  
"BANE!" Alexandria yelled at him. "Put Master Wesley down, nicely." Wesley found his feet on the ground and looked at all the staring faces.  
  
Gwen silently looked Wesley up and down and then announced. "Wesley Wyndham Pryce, I thought you were taller."  
  
"Wesley, come sit next to me." Alex invited pointing to the empty space on her right. "Take Cole's seat."  
  
"But...." Marcus and Bane tried to protest. Gwen silenced them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Isis you'd better do it now, before we anything else happens." Alex said to her friend.  
Isis nodded, as she poured some sand into her hand from a pouch and passed it around.  
She spoke a spell in Greek and tossed the powder into the fire, killing it.   
  
"Isis." Wesley noted the knot of Isis, the Egyptian goddess, that hung around her neck. She looked as if she were Cleopatra,   
her eyes were painted like that of the Queen herself. Isis caught his glance and just smiled.  
  
"Bane." He tossed the powder into the dead fire.  
  
"Gwen." She threw it into the burned wood.  
Elizabeth, Marcus, Wesley and Alex followed suit.  
  
"Jonathan." He repeated the Greek Isis had chanted, and when the powder hit the ashes the fire revived, spitting out flames, that brought up a wall of fire that encircled them. "Its safe."  
  
Wesley opened his mouth to ask a question, but Isis answered it. "Yes we are the ones who put the fire wall up."  
  
Wesley thought to himself, as he studied the young people gathered around the fire, an Irishman, a Greek, what looked to be a half Native American, Egyptian, the French and of course the British.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You look like hell." Marcus stated. He had a French accent with a little British thrown in for good measure.  
  
"The herbs aren't helping?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"No, they aren't." Alex told him.  
  
"Helping what?" Wesley inquired.  
  
"The lack of sleep." Isis answered.   
  
"What about the black outs?" Bane questioned.  
  
"Still here." Alex frowned.  
  
"I think that we should crack a piece of wood over her head....." Gwen teased. Alex stuck her tongue out at Elizabeth's cousin.  
  
"And chain you to the bed." Elizabeth put in.  
  
"Sounds like the fun, can I help?" Marcus asked.  
  
"Absolutely!" chimed Elizabeth and Gwen.  
  
"They're teasing." Bane told Wesley.  
  
Alex rolled her eyes, it was their attempt to cheer her up, it work, a little, very little.  
"What did you find out about Adern?"  
  
"Nothing much, but I do know that Adern was a powerful warlock, very vain. He concocted a spell to keep his looks as he went along in life." Elizabeth spoke up as she passed Alex Adern's book.  
  
"Well that explains why he looked the way he did." Alex told them.  
  
"I've copied the book, and have friends working on translating it." Elizabeth crossed her arms.  
  
"Its going to storm, best we start wrapping things up." Gwen said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	4. On Edge

~~~~~~~  
"I can't believe we let him go!" Cordelia slammed the door, signifying her dislike to the whole situation.  
  
"Man's got a right for a vacation." Gunn replied, never looking up from his newspaper. "I'm concerned, yes, but Wesley can take care of himself."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Not a word to Angelo about the meeting, and forget tonight ever happened." She warned Wesley, before going into the castle.  
  
"One condition, we'll have a talk in the morning." Wesley told her, holding onto her arm.  
  
Angelo opened the door. "Good night gentleman." She pushed past them and headed for her room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Seth was working late as usual when the phone on his desk rang.   
"Take care of it! That's what I pay you for!" He then slammed the receiver down and   
poured himself some brandy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
For the first time since New York, she slept with no dreams or other interruptions.   
"Angelo still here?" Alex asked the room in the morning.  
  
"Nay, but Master Wesley is." Isla told her as Alex pulled clean clothes from various wooden dresser drawers.   
  
"How long has he been up?" She flopped onto her four post bed, frustrated.  
  
"A few hours."   
  
Alex poked her head under the bed, her brush was there, just out of her reach.   
As she reached, the bush flew to her fingertips. "Thank you Isla."   
Up from the bed, Miss Drummond, took a look in the mirror and saw a faded reflection.   
She shook her head, gathering up her stone wash blue jeans and rose colored shirt and headed for the bathroom.   
"Isla? What was all that noise last night?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wesley had tried to explore his surroundings the night before, of course he had to choose the night it stormed like the dickens.   
Still dressed from his outing earlier in the evening, he left open his door, as soon as he stepped out of the doorway, it slammed shut.  
"What the? Must be the wind." He tried to reassure himself as he tried the doors in the red carpeted hallway, filled with what looked like antique furniture and paintings of what he assumed were her ancestors.  
  
Each door he tried to open was locked.   
At the very end of the hallway was an opened door, when he reached it, and when he saw it was   
Alex's room, the door slammed shut and locked.   
  
Wesley called out, no one answered. The window at the other end of the hall opened suddenly, bringing in the rain and the wind,   
he looked at the window and a figure in front of it.   
"Excuse me." He went toward the figure as the wind blew the curtain through the figure and stopping him dead in his tracks.  
  
The figure stared out the window, and as he got closer, it disappeared.   
Stunned, Wesley closed the window, and went back to his room. He took one last look at Alex's room, and saw the figure walk through the door and then back out.   
The figure was gray and its presence seem to force Wesley away from her room, and back into his own.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are you ready to talk now?" Wesley asked impatiently the following day.  
  
"Are you ready to listen?" She shot back. Surprised, Wesley nodded. "I'm sorry, what do you know?"  
  
"Well the police report states Cole was driving when he lost control, Angelo also said you don't talk about it." Wesley treaded carefully with that statement.  
  
"Angelo worries too much." She told Wesley. "We were being chased by another car. Cole and I just finished two weeks training in the hills and we picked up a tail on the way home.  
After we hit the tree, I saw a man, well I assume a man, dressed in black, coming towards the car. I saw him as a threat and tried to free myself from the car." She poured and then sipped her tea. "The man saw me, and headed in the other direction."  
  
"And Cole?"  
  
"The doctors repaired what they could, but he'll need a cane to help walk for the rest of his life. Everyone was surprised we survived a wreck that bad."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seth very on edge for this strange meeting. It was a dark, musty old warehouse down by the docks in Bristol, he wouldn't be so edgy if the day wasn't so dark and gloomy.  
  
"Don't look so worried old man." the voice echoed through the darkness of the warehouse.  
This was the last of the old warehouses, it was a few days from being torn down, along with restructuring of the docks.   
Seth stepped onto a board that snapped under his weight.   
  
"The Council has agreed to your terms, when can we expect results?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  



	5. Trouble in the Making

~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Elizabeth and Gwen opened the old wooden doors to the Council's archives.   
The tall towers of bookcases, held books of all colors, sizes and seemed to reach for miles above them and encircled them, and at the very top was a dome, painted with a large cross.   
The floor was high quality marble, with black crosses engraved every few steps. Even the staircases they connected to each level were part bookcase.  
  
"How far up?" Gwen questioned.  
  
"Not up." Elizabeth headed for the back of the archives. "Back."  
The dark, musty smell was enough to keep normal people away. "Don't stand there." Elizabeth pulled a book out and a black cross tile opened.  
  
"Why?" Gwen caught herself before falling into the open hole.  
  
"That's why." Elizabeth began her downward climb into the darkness. "You coming?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Back inside the Drummond castle, Wesley thought it would be a good idea for her to have a sparring partner. Both dressed in sweat clothes and boxing gloves, Alex had her red hair pulled back into a high braided ponytail.  
"This isn't a game Alexandria." Wesley reminded her as he connected with a punch to her jaw.  
  
She grumbled to herself before getting up from the mat.  
  
Wesley shook his head, and then touched her shoulders. "You're very tense, loosen up."  
  
"Easier said then done, by the way what happened to your hair Alex?"" joked Angelo from the doorway.   
He had to dodge the flying boxing gloves.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Wesley picked up a kendo stick, and began to hit her with it.  
"What, ouch," Alex rubbed her leg, as Wesley smacked her in the shoulder. "Wesley!" He ignored her, as a smack was felt in her ribs. "Hey!"  
  
Wesley smacked her hand. Angelo tried not to laugh from the doorway.  
  
"You're hitting me with a kendo stick," She dodged the kendo stick, by jumping backwards. "and you want me to relax?"   
  
Angelo tossed her a kendo stick and watched Alex do a poor job of defending. He shook his head, maybe Wesley would smack some sense into that head of hers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Anya looked up to see a dark skinned gentleman coming towards her. "Can I help you?" she asked.   
  
The gentleman was older, with strands of gray throughout his black hair. "Is the owner of this establishment available?" His English accent was a bit hard to understand right away.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, he isn't here, but I can help you...." Anya smiled.  
  
"I'm afraid not young lady. Do you expect him back soon?" he questioned.  
  
"He's usually here in the evenings..." she replied.  
  
"Thank you." The gentleman began to browse the store.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	6. Watchers

Wesley was in the kitchen reading the paper and waiting for the kettle to boil.  
He was so involved with the paper he didn't even hear the it whistle.  
  
"Oh thank you Alex." When his tea was placed beside him.   
When she didn't respond he looked up and saw a white light in the form of a lady.   
  
"Aggh!" Startled he fell off the chair.  
  
"Wesley?" Cole hobbled into the kitchen. "What happened?"  
  
"I...I..saw..." Wesley stuttered.  
  
"A ghost." Cole chuckled. "Isla."  
  
"The ghost has a name?"  
  
"Yes I have a name." The Scottish voice echoed in the kitchen. "I did not mean to frighten you."  
  
"Its all right, I'm just not used to a talking ghost, that's all."  
  
"She's not exactly a ghost, more like castle guardian." Cole told him. "She's been here, oh, couple hundred years."  
  
"That's amazing. Was that you in the hallway a few nights ago?"  
  
"Aye."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Angelo!!!" Alex yelled and thundered up from downstairs, a few hours later. "How dare you involved Wesley!"  
  
Angelo followed her down the stairs. "ME? How did this become my fault?"  
  
"You went and got him!" She snapped at him.  
  
"Cole told me....."  
  
"I DON'T CARE WHAT COLE TOLD YOU!" Alex was turning red with anger.  
  
"What's all the shouting about?" Wesley's timing was perfect.  
  
"You've involved him in something he won't make it out of!" She ignored Wesley and Cole.  
  
"You don't know that." Angelo countered.  
  
"I can't take any chances, he's too important."  
  
"Excuse me, but I am in the room." Wesley pointed out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Xander!" Anya was relieved to see the love of her life walk through the doors of the shop.  
  
"Hey." He kissed her and then took a look around. "Busy?"  
  
"No they want to see Giles, and I told them they could wait here." Anya told him.  
  
"He's right behind me." Xander comforted.  
  
"Anya, I need you to....." Giles stopped in mid sentence when he saw the men waiting for him.  
  
"Yes?" Anya asked.  
  
"I need you to call Buffy and tell her I won't be able to see her tonight." Giles ordered.   
"Xander, you stay here and mind the store." Giles headed for the back room and was followed by the men.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Giles." the dark skinned man spoke first.  
  
"Daniel, why have you come?" Giles asked. "Henry, you of all people should know the consequences."  
  
Henry shook his head. "I know, but Giles, things have worsened. We would not be here if weren't important." He set up his laptop computer and pulled a disc from inside his jacket. "With this disc that Elizabeth sent to me, we can change things." He slipped the disc in and let Giles watch the screen.  
  
Giles' expression was that of shock and disbelief. The screen showed a half dead Alex, bleeding from her head, face, arms and neck. Then an angry Seth taunting her and trying to provoke her vampire half. "Turn it off."  
  
"Giles, with this disc, we can prove Seth unworthy of leading." Skylen, was a splitting image of Isis.   
  
"What do you think of this?" Giles questioned Gwen's father.   
  
"Its time to change how things are done." Dominic replied.  
  
"These are dangerous times, Giles, my son told me he watched my father take a bribe from a vampire to leave him and his pack alone." Spoke up Jonathan's father.   
  
"We have nothing to lose." Bane's father told them.  
  
"And our lives to gain back." finished Marcus' father. "What we want from you Giles is your blessing."  
  
"To do what? Start a revolution?"  
  
"The revolution began when she was born and since you are her godfather, we ask for your permission to help her." Skylen asked.  
  
"There will be a war." Giles pointed out.  
  
"No, if this goes to the others, they will support her."  
  
"You don't know that for certain." Giles snapped at Skylen.  
  
"No, we don't know that, be we want to try," Skylen continued, "with Cole as her Watcher, things should go smoothly."  
  
"God help us if she dies." Giles told them. "God help you if she does." 


	7. Trouble Brings Help from the Past

"You'd better not be here when I get back." Alex snapped at Wesley as Cole stared at his slayer.   
Angelo and Isis, who had just dropped in to see how Cole was, stared in disbelief, as the door slammed in their faces.   
  
"She'll be fine, cooling off is just what she needs." Isis followed Angelo through the opened door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"If I may be so bold as to ask, but do you know if she will challenge for the right to lead the Council, she is, after all, of age." Wesley asked.  
  
"Yes, we discussed this before the accident." Cole hobbled over to the easy chair in the front room.   
"I'm really unsure about her taking control of the Council so soon, its not that I don't think she could so it, I believe it would be too much, all at once for her."  
  
"I see what you mean, we also cannot afford to lose another slayer."  
  
"Some days I wonder, what would have been, if I had been chosen for Faith, and you were still here." Cole told his friend.  
  
"Ah yes, I have often wonder that as well my friend."  
  
"How is Faith?"  
  
"On the road back, thanks to Angel."  
  
"Wesley, I am beginning to question my ability to train her." Cole confessed.  
  
"What? Because of the accident?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Perhaps, you need to change your technique."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alex didn't return until sunrise that next day. A somewhat calmer Alex asked Wesley to leave for LA.  
  
"No."   
  
"Your place is with Angel Investigations in LA."   
  
"No my place is where I am needed and with Cole's condition...."  
  
"Wesley, I'm begging you, please."  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh honestly!" She threw her hands in the air.  
  
"Chill out." Cole hobbled into the conversation with a cane in the left hand. "Can you just stop arguing for five minutes, geez, you'd think the two of you were siblings."   
The phone rang. "Gwen? Yeah she's here." Cole handed her the phone.  
  
"What's....Yeah OK, ASAP." She hung up the phone. "Pack some clothes, we need to catch a train for London."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I've called the others, they plan to meet us there. Any idea what this is about?" Isis looked concerned as they pulled in front of Elizabeth's and Gwen's shared home.  
Bane, Marcus and Jonathan were waiting for them in front of the cousin's home.  
  
Before anyone could get out of the car, they heard a small explosion from inside the house.   
  
Elizabeth came through the glass pane to the right of front door.   
  
Bane shot towards the door and scooped her up out of harms way.   
  
"Gwen," cough, "she's still..."  
  
"We'll get her out." Wesley told her as the black smoke filled the house and sounds of shattered glass were heard.  
  
"Kitchen..." Elizabeth coughed again.  
  
"No way we can get in there." Cole spoke up.  
  
Alex began as she backed up towards the fire, turning quickly she vamped out and headed inside.  
  
"BANE! Go after her!" Cole ordered.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Gwen!" Alex charged into the kitchen to find nothing but thick, black smoke. "Gwen."  
Nothing, no noise, she wasn't here. Something cracked above her, looking up she saw something falling towards her.   
She then felt herself get pulled backwards as the wood beam came crashing down inches from her.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"We found something in the archives, that you should see." Elizabeth wheezed, as she tried to get up.   
  
"You're staying here. The doctors said you should rest." Cole told her.  
  
"No, I have to show you...."  
  
"No, tell us." Isis said, trying to ease her mind.  
  
"Go into the archives," cough, "straight back to the dark left corner. The very last book case," cough, "on your left has the book Great Expectations. Pull it out, but don't stand on the black cross closest to the case."  
  
"I want to go check it out." Alex said as she eyed her two Watchers.  
  
"Then I'm coming as well." Cole announced, giving the all clear.  
  
"No, you stay with Elizabeth, I'll go and keep an eye on her." Wesley's eagerness eased his friend's mind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Marcus, Bane and Wesley joined Alex deep inside the archives below the castle.   
  
"Its like one of those old movie vaults." remarked Bane. He was right, papers, videos, and most likely sound recordings of Council dealings.  
  
They came to the end of the tunnels and came upon a listening room.   
  
"Listen to this. Elizabeth." she read the note on the table and tossed Marcus the cassette.  
  
Marcus plugged the cassette into the machine and hit the green play button.   
  
"I was digging through the archives and came across various tapes concerning slayers. One tape tells about how they carefully turned Faith against everyone. Considering all the "You should be more like Buffy-isms, I'm surprised she didn't succeed in killing Buffy."  
"I also saw the video of the New York incident. Everything they did to you, I am very pleased you beat them, considering they made you run the gauntlet in that condition.   
I also have found the reason for the black outs, there is a chip in your spine that when Seth pushes the remote, causes the black outs. When you had that black out after killing Adern, it may have been painful, but the setting was on 3 of the 8 pain levels. I need Marcus to take a look at the x-rays, before I say anymore."  
  
"The Council's reaction to your birth was one of discontent, as you already know, the leaders of the other Councils know of your existence..." The taped clicked off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
"The Council brainwashed Faith?" Alexandria was stunned. "But why try to kill her later?"  
  
"She rebelled against them?" Wesley answered.   
  
"Or her friendship with you." Bane pointed out.  
  
"We had to cover our tracks." Seth's voice was heard in the room.   
"Welcome Alex, its a shame you won't be able to see me before you depart."  
That said protective steel dropped in front of the walls covering the machines and tapes. One wall opened to their right, to reveal a very scared Gwen up to her neck in water.  
  
"Gwen!" Bane took one look at her, grabbed one of the chairs and flung it towards the glass shattering it. Gwen and the water came spilling out.  
The water began to fill the tunnels faster then they could run.   
  
When they reached the staircase, Bane couldn't open the door. "It's stuck."  
  
"Alex....." Bane pointed to a very white, barely standing slayer. "Alex!" She slipped on the cobblestone and fell backwards. Wesley and Gwen pulled her from the water.  
  
Marcus examined her as her eyes began to glow an amber color, before rolling into the back of her head. "Alex, can you hear me?" He pushed open her eyelids as she vamped out.  
  
"Let me go." Aricia told them.  
  
"Aricia? Are you all right?" Gwen asked.  
  
"I've been better...." Aricia was stopped in mid sentence with pain flooding through her body.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Elizabeth?" Henry called into the room at the hospital.  
  
"Excuse me, who are you?" a nurse asked.  
  
"Daddy!" Elizabeth blushed when she called to him. "Did you get the disc?"  
  
"Are you alright?" Henry hugged his daughter. "What happened?"  
  
"They set the house ablaze." Isis said quietly.  
  
"Where's Gwen and the others?" Skylen and the other fathers filed into the hospital room.  
  
"What? They tried to burn you?" Cole's father was stunned.   
  
"They went after some tapes in the archives." Isis told them.  
  
"You allowed them go back?" Henry seemed to scold her.  
  
"We need to got after them, they told me I could leave in an hour."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"They set the fire." Gwen's voice began shake. "I tried to stop them, but they gagged me."  
  
"You're fine now." Wesley assured her.  
  
"Somethin' has to be on top of the door." Bane banged his shoulder against the door again.  
  
"Bane, stop or you'll hurt yourself." Marcus stated as he looked at the water rising up to his waist.  
  
"Anyone know a spell to stop rising water?" Alex asked rubbing the back of her neck.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"There." Elizabeth almost ran into the large statue sitting on the door.   
"We have to move it before we can open the door."  
  
The fathers used all their strength and pushed the bronze like lion statue off the tile.   
The tile opened to reveal the water four inches from the top.   
  
"Dear goddess." Isis stared at the rising water, when a hand came through the water.  
  
Daniel and Dominic grabbed the hand and pulled. Bane came through the water gasping for air. Next came Gwen, Alex, Wesley and finally Marcus.  
  
"We need to clean you up." Skylen took one look at the blood dripping from Alex's nose.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Alex

  
"Headache?" Cole asked Alex as she unbraided her hair.  
  
"More like a body ache." She replied.  
  
"Judging from what you told me and considering you're still having problems," Elizabeth put in, "he kicked up the pain level up a notch."  
  
"What do you know about this chip?" Wesley inquired.  
  
"Well, it was put in while Alex was in New York. As far as I know its used as a tracking device and a pain chip." Elizabeth told them.  
  
"I've looked at the x-rays Elizabeth smuggled out and it looks to me like its wrapped around your vertebrates." Marcus diagnosed.  
  
"Meaning what?" asked Cole.  
  
"Meaning its very possible that if Seth kicks it up to the highest level, it could snapped your neck." Marcus shook his head.  
  
"Is it possible to remove the chip?" Wesley wondered.  
  
"I don't know....." Elizabeth and Marcus answered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I worry about you sometimes Miss Drummond." Alex looked up at the bartender and smiled.  
  
"Now why would you worry about me Wen?"   
  
His deep brown eyes were concerned. "Because my mother worries, my brother as well, therefore I worry." He put a brandy glass in front of her.  
  
"Rye, like his older brother worries too much for his own good." Alex told him.  
  
"So do you."  
  
"Wen, would you take these off my hands?" She pulled from her bag the colored stones she used in Sunnydale.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"They are impure, I cannot use them in my spells."  
  
"If you insist." He put them under the bar.  
  
"How is your mother?"  
  
"Worried about you."   
  
She shook her head. "When do I get to meet her?"  
  
"She's coming to visit in a few weeks, she looks forward to your company."  
  
"Are you going to pour or not?" Wen smiled and poured her a little blood into the glass. "I assume, that your blood thirst is giving you problems?"  
  
"How's Rye?"  
  
"Concerned about you." Rye's brother smiled and continued. "Like me."  
  
"Could I bunk with you for a few days?"  
  
"On one condition."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You think very hard about your next move, confronting Seth alone, isn't using your head." Wen reminded her.  
  
"How did you know? Never mind, you won't tell me anyway." They both smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Three days had past since Alexandria left her friends in London and took refuge in the house of her gypsy friend Wen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Excuse me!"  
  
Aricia groaned at the voice approaching her.  
"What are you doing here Wesley?" She asked looking at her shooter full of blood.  
  
"I'm not leaving." Wesley dropped the plane ticket on the bar.  
  
"I don't need you." Her voice was steady and gave no emotion.  
  
"Yes you do." He sat down on the stool next to her.  
  
"Faith needs you."  
  
"She's in prison Alexandria. You're the one I'm concerned about."  
  
"Did Faith tell you how we met?"  
  
"No."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"The two of you were on your way to Sunnydale. There was that layover in, Atlanta. Do you remember that?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, we were three days behind schedule." Wesley thought back.   
  
"You let her go hunting alone."  
  
"Yes. Not the smartest decision I've made, that I admit."  
  
"Somehow, I had painted myself into a corner. Cypen lead me into an old warehouse, where Adern was, needless to say, I took a bad beating at their hands." She sipped her blood before continuing.  
  
"One of the minions came barreling into the middle of everything, with Faith on his heels. She ashed the minion, before he could say anything. Faith stared them down as I reloaded my bow and got my back on my feet.   
More minions appeared, and we had to leave," Alex laughed, "Faith grabbed me by the arm, told me we had to leave, it wasn't safe, I didn't trust anyone back then.   
She pushed me behind some old crates, I aimed my bow at her, Faith didn't even blink.   
She said that, if we wanted to make it out alive, I was gonna have to trust her."  
  
"She never told me."  
  
"I figured as much."  
  
"You do need me." Wesley told her.  
  
"No," she drank down the blood, "I've never needed you. Go home."  
  
Wesley looked like a child pouting, his lower lip began to quiver as he left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cordelia was out on date, well if you could call it that. It was a double date, a friend from acting class talked her into a double date with her friend's cousin, major let down.   
The pain shot through her head like a bullet. As she fell from the booth, a brandy glass fell to the floor.  
  
She saw the conversation between Wesley and Alex in the bar, then Wesley about to get on a plane to come home. Then a crippled Cole, laying dead in a stone hallway.   
With her friend's help she stumbled towards the bathrooms. After a few minutes she emerged with Wesley's cell number and dialed it on the nearest pay phone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hello?" Wesley was just about to step onto the plan when Cordelia called.   
"How did you know?" Wesley frowned at what Cordy told him, turning on his heels he left the airport.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	9. One Last Time

  
The walk down the great hall towards the Council's conference room, was dark.   
The tall diamond shaped windows had been boarded up tight.   
Alex was in front with Cole on her right and Isis on her left as they rounded a corner leading into the final corridor that held the offices of the Watchers.  
Three minutes had past since the last incident.  
  
"We've got company." Henry pointed out as they were met by a gang of vampires.  
  
"You're not welcomed here." the lead vampire told them.  
  
"Says who?" asked Cole.  
  
"You don't need to know." Another vamp put in as others began to surround them.   
One vampire tried to attack Elizabeth from behind, but was dusted by Wesley. Two more tried to attack, but were thrown backwards.  
  
"You better have a hell of a reason you're not on that plane Wesley Wyndham Pryce." Alex told him.  
  
"You need me here." Wesley replied. Alex opened her mouth to comment, but Wesley wasn't finished.  
"Now listen here young lady, not another word out of your mouth."   
  
"Isis?" Gwen turned to see Isis and Skylen in some sort of trance.  
  
"Isis." Alex touched her friend's shoulder. "Let me leave."  
  
"No." Cole objected as Isis and Skylen nodded, "Yes."   
She turned back around and walked out of the shielding with Jonathan on her heels.  
  
"No, you stay." Skylen told Wesley as he came out of his trance.   
Wesley and Cole watched helplessly as Jonathan and Aricia battled the vampires on the outside.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Aricia lost her balance, fell onto the floor and then was dog piled by half the vamps there.   
Jonathan ashed enough vampires, that she could get up. She looked around for her bow, only to find it snapped in half.   
Picking up both pieces she ashed the two nearest vampires.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Isis and her father had dropped the shielding at the urging of Cole, Wesley and Jonathan's father, Aderes.  
  
Aderes pulled from inside his leather coat a stake, he backed her up as the vampire had her pinned against the marble wall, Aderes slammed the stake into the vampire.  
  
What vampires were left, headed for the hills as the rest of her friends took a breath.   
  
"Everyone OK?" Bane coughed and looking at the positive nods.  
  
"I can't believe it broke." Alex seemed depressed as she stared at her faithful crossbow.  
  
"A casualty of war." Cole said, as he pulled a white handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped away the dripping blood from her birthmarks.  
  
"My favorite bow." She sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"Please tell there are no more," cough, "fights." Marcus coughed again.  
  
"I don't think we'd be that lucky...." Isis pointed at the large wood doors at the end of the hall. The doors were open and there standing beyond them was the Council.  
  
The Council took one look at their children and grandchildren and slammed the doors closed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inside the men tried to stand without fear, as the door began to break open. With one more run, they opened it. Seth wasn't there, that upset Aricia even more.   
  
"Where is he?" she jumped up onto the half moon marble table and began to pace.  
  
"May the Powers That Be forgive us, Miss Alex we did not know........" Gwen's grandfather stumbled over his words.  
  
"Know what?" Aricia stopped in front of him and stared at him like a hawk hunting her prey.  
  
"The prophesies are true." Elizabeth's grandfather spoke next. "The Powers have brought you here..."  
  
"I don't have time for your babbling old man, where's Seth?" She was beginning to get impatient. He pointed to a crack in the wall behind Isis' grandfather on the left of the table.   
  
"Its a passageway." Wesley pulled the wall open and stared down the dark stairs. "I'm coming with you."  
  
"Do I have a choice?" Aricia had her back to the grandfathers inspecting the passage, when she heard something from behind her.   
She spun around just in time to see Jonathan's grandfather shoot an arrow at her, just before it hit, it stopped in mid air and turn to ice, shattering when it hit the floor.   
  
"Cutting it a little close aren't you Isis?" Bane's voice shook as he joked.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Cordelia and Gunn were in the office, reading. The stabbing pain of her visions returned, she swallowed three more painkillers, before she fell to the floor.   
Gunn had never seen her in so much pain, he tried to help her, but she just screamed louder. He covered her in a blanket and put a pillow under her head, he wondered just what she was seeing.  
  
Cordelia saw the fight in the hallway and would soon seen everything after that.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Aricia, Wesley and Cole headed down the stairs, being careful not to slip on the wet stone. They came to the bottom and saw four hallways running parallel to each other.  
  
"Which way?" asked Alex.  
  
"I suggest we split up." Wesley spoke up.  
  
"Agreed." Alex and Cole said in unison. Alex waited until Cole was out of ear shot before she took hold of Wesley's arm.  
  
"I want you to promise me that you'll go back to LA. If something were to happen to me, someone needs to keep the peace."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"If I die, word will spread like wild fire, no heir for the Council, thus meaning, no one to control their population, until a new leader can be found.   
They'll riot, and take out as many hunters as they can. If Angel isn't going to help, someone with ties to the Council needs to be there." Her eyes seemed to plead with him.  
  
"I promise."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Wesley took the third hallway, Cole the first and she was walking through the fourth one.   
She was lost in thought about what she had seen in the Council room.   
There were nine chairs, but only eight were present, including Seth, even though he had skipped out before she got to the room.  
Her father always told her that there were an odd number of members because they wanted to avoid deadlocks at all costs.   
As for this prophesy business, she didn't give it much of a thought, it was just some tactic to throw her off guard.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wesley met up with Cole as he pushed open a large stone door.   
  
"Dead end, I presume?" Cole asked.  
  
Wesley nodded and asked, "Its a bit quiet don't you think?"  
  
"Very." Cole agreed as they turned a corner and hit a dead end. "Damn."   
They turned around and came face to face with a pair of vampires.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alex turned left and was faced with a tall wooden door, that was rounded at the top.   
She reached for the brass handle, stopped, took a step back and turned away to go for help.   
It was a sudden attack, her head began to pound, everything she saw was fuzzy, and her arms began to tingle.   
The door opened and she went through it.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Cordelia began to cry, the pain was unbearable. Gunn was frightened, he just stayed with her.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Seth stood behind the door as she stumbled in.   
"Well hello, Alexandria." He held the remote in his hand and turned the dial to the left.   
"Level 8."  
  
"Stop it." She took a leap at Seth as he pushed the dial down on the pad. When she hit him, he dropped the remote.  
Alex hit her head on the wall and vamped out. Slowly, she got up and looked for the remote.   
  
"How....." Seth was caught off guard as she walked up to him and wrapped her hand around his throat. "You promised..."  
  
"Alexandria promised, I never did." hissed Aricia. Seth felt her grip loosen as he saw the effects of his chip take hold of the young half breed.   
  
"What's wrong sweetheart?" He teased as she let go of him and backed up and turned around gagging and coughing.   
"First its a headache, followed by numbness in the arms. Oh you're past that." He smiled as the blood trickled from her nose, ears, the birthmarks, mouth and eyes.   
  
Aricia felt the blood boil in her body, as she took a few swats at Seth, everything seemed to go numb.   
She felt the need to grab for something, anything before her legs gave out, which happened a few seconds later.   
  
"They told me your death would come by my own hands." He took a stake from the table and stuck it into her heart. Her skin turned white, then gray, black and back to white.  
  
She looked down and saw the point of the stake covered in blood. Aricia/Alex could hear the crack, snap and pop of her spine. Seth walked behind her and pulled it through further.   
Her tears mixed with blood as he walked back around laughing. Her grandfather chuckled as Wesley and Cole were heard yelling and banging on the other side of the door.  
  
"Seth." Alex opened her eyes at the sound of a familiar voice.   
"The Powers would like to see you." Seth turned around and was greeted by an arrow through the heart. "They await you for trial." Cole and Wesley burst through the door in time to see Seth be hit by an arrow and swallowed by white fire.   
  
Alex smiled at him as Cole held her tight. "Wesley, Cole...." Wesley pulled the stake from her body and tossed across the room as he put pressure on the wound, but the blood kept coming.   
She smiled one more time, closed her eyes and died.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cordelia stood up with tears in her eyes and told Gunn that Alexandria had been killed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She was not supposed to die." All eyes in the room were red from crying.   
  
"What now?" Marcus' voice was next.  
  
"But why did they let her die in the first place?" Elizabeth brushed away the tears as they slipped down her face.  
  
"What about Seth?" Cole asked.  
  
Isis lite the sage scented candle. "Alex?" Isis touched her best friend's forehead and spoke gently. "Are you awake?"  
  
There was no response.   
  
"Please come back to us." Gwen was worried.   
  
"Wesley's on the plane." Henry stood in the doorway.  
  
"Leave us." Isis commanded them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The silence in the room was upsetting Isis. "What took you so long?" she asked the mirror as it opened behind her.   
The figure used the same passage, only years before Alex had used to escape, the passage closed behind it.   
  
"I should have know that you speak for them." Isis turned around and came face to face with Angelo. "You let her die."  
  
"They did not want me to interfere." Angelo sat down on otherside of the bed.  
  
"INTERFERE? Angelo, she's dead." Isis held out her right palm to him.  
  
"They thought she would be able to defeat Seth alone." As he went flying against the wall, thanks to Isis' spell.  
  
"Well here's your answer!" Her violet eyes burned with anger as she jumped from her friend's bed.  
  
"Now listen here Isis...."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	10. Grace

~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What do you mean the Council's coming here again?" Buffy was annoyed as she punched the punching bag.  
  
"I just got the letter this morning. They'll be here tomorrow night." Giles told her.  
  
"Giles, something wrong?" Buffy eyed Giles.  
  
"No, nothing to be concerned about. Anyway, I suggest you keep a close eye on Dawn, if they find out Dawn is the key, they could take her away from us." Giles said.  
  
"Well Xander and Anya are taking Dawn to a movie tonight, I'll let them know....."  
  
"Good." Giles put the letter down, as he went to answer the phone in the front.  
  
Curious why Giles didn't let her read the letter, Buffy took a quick peek.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dawn, Xander and Anya were walking home from the movie that night, when Dawn got uncomfortable.   
  
"What's wrong?" Xander asked.  
  
"I feel like we're being watched." Dawn was creeped out.  
  
"Its OK, you're almost home." Anya told her looking around at the bushes.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Spike grumbled at the knock on his crypt door. "Yeah what?" He snarled as he opened the door. A hand with a large roll of money greeted him.  
  
"Can I come in?" The voice asked.  
  
"Thought you were dead." Spike told the voice as he waved the person in.  
  
"The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated." Alex told him as she handed him the roll of money.  
  
"What's this for?"  
  
"Saving my life." She sat down on the stone coffin. "Its not much, but its all I can spare right now."  
  
"You didn't have..."  
  
"Stop, I have a business proposition for you." She took off her black cloak, revealing black lace chemise, trimmed with the Drummond tartan.  
  
"All right. Spill it."  
  
"I want to hire you on a month to month basis."  
  
Spike scoffed, "What do I get out of this deal?" He came face to face with her.  
  
"One hundred-twenty five a month, and a chance to get that damned chip taken out of your head." She told him.  
  
"Two."  
  
"One-fifty."  
  
"Two fifty."  
  
"Two and a quarter."  
  
"Three."  
  
"Done." It was no use, she didn't want to barter with him anymore.  
  
"What do I have to do?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You again?" Buffy asked Harmony the following evening.  
  
"You're not so tough." snapped Harmony as she motioned for one of her followers to challenge Buffy.   
Seeing that Buffy would come after her, Harm backed up and ran.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Allo." Harm turned around and into a flying fist. "I owe you a few valley girl."  
  
"Who are you?" Harmony was already bleeding from the nose.  
  
"Don't you recognize me love?" Aricia circled Harmony.  
  
"Should, should I?"  
  
"The last time you saw me, I was a bloody mess. Spike had to come in and save my skin."  
  
"Slayer!" Harmony hissed at Aricia.  
  
"Slayer. Vampire." She boxed Harmony in the jaw.  
  
"That hurt."  
  
"So did the arrow in my leg." Aricia aimed her bow at Harmony's left leg and fired.  
Harmony went down holding her leg.  
  
"What did you do that for?" she cried.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Harmony!!!" Buffy's voice found them in the darkness.  
  
"I'm only warning you once. If you even consider meddling in my or anyone associated with my life, I will come back, chain you up and leave you to die by the sunlight."   
  
Harmony nodded and took off as Buffy came into the picture.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Where's Harmony? Who are you?"  
  
"She's been given a pardon for tonight." Aricia told Buffy.  
  
"Who are you?" Buffy's tone was demanding.  
  
"I'll give you a hint." Aricia turned back to Alex.  
  
"Huh?" Buffy seemed surprised. "But I thought....."  
  
"Do I look dead to you?" Alex snapped. "Sorry. Buffy, can we talk, slayer to slayer?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Things."  
  
"I don't think so." Buffy was already late for the Council visit.  
  
"If you're worried about the Council's visit, don't. They won't start without us." Alex said.  
  
"What did you just say?" Something clicked inside Buffy's brain.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Buffy's late, the Council's late..." Giles kept mumbling.  
  
"I'm sure they'll be here, and, umm Buffy promised." Willow poured Giles another cup of tea. He in turn pulled out his little silver flask and poured the contents into the tea.  
  
The door to the shop swung open and in walked Cole, Jonathan, Gwen, Elizabeth, Marcus, Bane, Angelo, with Isis bringing up the rear.  
  
"Can I help you?" Anya was very polite.  
  
"Where's Buffy?" asked Cole.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Buffy and Alex were just about to go through the back door, when their instincts told them someone was watching them.  
  
"Alexandria?" the voice asked from the wall.  
  
"Who wants to know?" snapped Alex. "Oh."  
  
"You know him?"  
  
"Yes. If you'll excuse me." She beckoned the black figure down from the wall.   
The figure jumped as she held up her hand and a wooden stake shot out from her left wrist. Ashes and the stake littered the air above.  
  
"How did you know he was a vampire?" Buffy seemed impressed as she picked ash out of her hair.  
  
"The only demons that have been following me, have been Adern's minions, everything else seems to run the other way when they find out about me."   
Aricia shrugged, reloading her wrist weapon.  
  
"Oh." Alex smiled as Buffy held open the door for her.  
  
They never heard the scuffle in the alleyway between Spike and another vampire.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Guys, we're here." Buffy called to the others.  
  
"Who's we?" asked Giles.  
  
"We, as in your two favorite trouble finding slayers." Alex smiled as Giles turned around.  
"Giles, close your mouth before you start catching flies."   
  
Dawn giggled as Giles obeyed.  
  
"But, I got a letter....." Giles was stumbling for words, he also noted the dark circles under her eyes, she looked like she'd been through more than he could imagine.  
  
"Giles, do I look dead to you?" She asked.  
  
"No but......."  
  
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Alex said. "I would like to introduce the Council of Watchers."  
  
"They're so young!" pointed out Willow.  
  
"I know, from what Alexandria tells me, they are as good as anyone of us." Buffy put in.  
  
"Call me Alex. My watcher is Cole."   
  
Cole stepped forward and nodded.  
  
"My bookworms, Elizabeth and Gwen," the cousins stepped forward, "Marcus, Bane," they stepped forward, "the one who keeps all of our heads on straight is Jonathan." Jonathan smiled as he was introduced.   
"My best friend and teacher, Isis." Isis stepped forward with a rather large book and presented it to Willow and Tara.   
  
"From one sister to two sisters." Isis told them as Willow took the book.  
  
"How did you umm, know we..." Willow started to ask.  
  
"She's one herself." Tara poked Willow in the ribs. "She's powerful too, can't you see it?"   
  
Isis just smiled as she stepped back.  
  
"And the one who's responsible for me being here. Angelo." Alex shook her head as Angelo shook hands with everyone.   
  
"How is it that someone of your age, no offense, becomes leader of the Council?" asked Xander.  
  
"By bloodline." Cole told him.  
  
"Let's get down to the business at hand, I know about Dawn." Alex said.  
  
"You're not taking her!" Anya protested.  
  
"We won't. Not unless you need our help. The Powers sent her to you, we are here to help you, if you need it. No one should have to face someone like Glory alone." Angelo said.  
  
"I absolutely agree." Giles shook his head in agreement.  
  
"Giles, I don't like discussing this topic, but, what would Buffy do if something happened to you?" Alex asked.  
  
"It should be up to the Council to choose, my err, replacement." Giles said.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
Buffy nodded.  
  
"I am assigning to you Giles, a Watcher in training." Alexandria said.  
  
"Who?" asked Giles.  
  
"Xander." Buffy and Alex said.  
  
"Excuse me?" Xander was shocked.  
  
"I agree!" Dawn shouted as Buffy nodded in agreement.  
  
"Its impossible for me to assign Buffy a total stranger as a Watcher. Xander's smart, Buffy says he can handle himself in almost any situation. Wouldn't you agree Giles?" Alexandria stated.  
  
"I'll need training." Xander told them.  
  
"That is true, but I believe you will make an excellent Watcher." Giles told him.  
  
"I'm sure my father wouldn't mind helping out." Cole said.  
  
"That is a good idea Cole, I will only be able to teach him so much." Giles seemed to be happy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I call it Slayer Com." Marcus smiled as he tossed phones to Giles and the rest of the gang.  
"The phones are programmed to respond to voice authorization as well as dialing the numbers."  
  
"How do we reach you?" Asked Dawn as she played with her cell phone.  
  
"Wait a minute, Dawn does not get a phone." Buffy objected.  
  
"Why?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Because I said." Buffy replied.  
  
"Fair enough." Marcus said taking it away from Dawn.  
  
Buffy nodded.  
  
"But how do we reach you?" asked Giles.  
  
"Say call Alex, or in the phone book, under Alex. If I don't answer, it will forward your call until someone answers."   
She replied standing behind Dawn as she slipped a cell phone and charger into Dawn's open backpack.   
  
"I have chargers for all your phones." Marcus set the bag on the table.   
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
The following evening Buffy, Giles, Alex and Cole and Angelo were in the back room of the shop.   
"She's improved drastically, considering she's missed a great deal of training. Cole you've done a wonderful job."   
  
"I can't take all the credit, Wesley helped too."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the front, Isis, Willow and Tara were swapping spells, when Alex's cell phone rang.  
  
"Alex's phone." Isis answered. "Marcus?" She spoke into the phone.  
"What? No, you and the others head home. No, I can't she's with Giles and Buffy. OK, I will." Isis got up and headed for the back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Isis knocked on the door and then entered. "Excuse me, but there is call for you Alex, its Marcus."  
  
She excused herself and went outside. "Marcus, you and your father go to Italy, try and smooth things out as much as you can. When I get back, I'll join you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Isis what's wrong?" Tara asked her as she came back into the room.  
"She's here...." Isis' eyes seemed to gloss over.  
"Who?" asked Willow.  
"Glory." Isis seemed to snap out of her trance and headed for the back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Outside Alex was on the phone with Gwen, when a female came up to her.  
"Who are you?" Glory asked her.  
"I..." Alex realized who it was, as Glory picked her up and tossed her against the wall opposite the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
Willow, Tara, Buffy and their respective Watchers followed Isis out the back door as soon as they heard the thud.   
  
"Glory!" Isis yelled at the fallen goddess.  
  
"Isis, and all this time I thought you stayed on your throne." Glory retorted. "I want my key Buffy." Glory pranced up to Buffy.  
"Who is that?" Glory pointed to Alex. "Never mind, she's just another human. You can't hide the key from me any longer."  
  
"Really?" Angelo put in. "We've done a damn good job so far."  
  
"You!" Glory reached for Angelo, but Aricia knocked her hand away.  
  
"I really wouldn't do that." chuckled Glory as she turned towards Aricia. "What the hell are you?"  
  
"Your new headache." snapped Aricia as she grabbed onto the blond hair and swung her into the brick wall.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I thought you and Buffy were on the same page." Giles questioned his goddaughter as he examined her dislocated shoulder.  
  
"Same book, couple chapters apart." Buffy explained as she helped the shoulder pop back into place with Cole.  
  
"I need to go to LA." Alex began to gather up her things.  
  
"What's wrong?" Giles asked.  
  
"Something's wrong, Gwen won't tell me, but I've got to go, Cole, Angelo I want you to go home."  
  
"Is that a good idea?" Buffy asked. "I mean you going into this situation with no help."  
  
"Look who's talking." Alex pointed out.  
  
Giles frowned at her.  
  
"I'll have help, don't worry." she caught herself, before she said anymore.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith had bruises, a black eye, and a very swollen lip and some more injuries.  
She had been transferred from the prison infirmary to the local hospital for better care.   
It hurt to move, the demon did some damage, but she wasn't concerned, it would heal.  
  
The doorway was darkened. "Faith?" Alexandria was concerned.  
  
"I'm OK." snapped Faith as Alex stood next to her bed.  
  
"Please, don't snap at me." She asked softly.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Excuse me, you can't be in here." the guard had come up from behind her.  
  
"Please, I've come from half way across the world to see my only living relative." Alex pleaded still facing Faith. Faith's eyes widened at the site of the vampire guard.  
  
"This doesn't concern you..."the guard began to say as Aricia turned around.  
"Oh my...."  
  
Aricia broke his arm to get the knife, and threw it away. "By the tone of your voice, I sense you know who I am?"  
  
The bald vampire nodded as the door slammed closed, as Aricia pinned him against the wall with a sharp piece of wood ready to strike. "Tell me who hired you and I'll let you live."  
  
"Vampire in a warehouse on the south side."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Rorta."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
He nodded, and true to her word she let him go.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wolfram and Hart." Rorta had pointed her Nor, Nor to Weon. Weon's high pitched voice echoed as they stood in front of the burning building. Aricia had her down on her knees with a handful of hair.  
  
"You're not lying to me are you?" She stuck a stake into the back of her neck. "Well?" Aricia pulled back on the neck.  
  
"No....Its true...." Those were Weon's last words.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What have you found out?" Alex sat down in the back room of Gypsy Cove.  
  
"Its a Fyreon Margeiayn demon." Wesley came up from behind her. "Its good to see you."  
  
"A what??" asked an amazed Alex.  
  
"Demon for hire?" Jonathan was surprised. "Who hired it?"  
  
"Wolfram and Hart, it appears they made a deal with your grandfather to have her taken out." Cordelia sat down next to Wesley. "Not to mention some other deals that are yet to be fulfilled." Cordelia handed the papers to Alex.  
  
"And deals that won't be, thanks Cordelia." Alex pulled a piece of paper out and slid it across the table to her.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"Your fee for this and the last time I was here."  
  
"Oh wow. Are those all zeros......" Cordelia was stunned.  
  
"Let me see." Gunn snapped the check away. "Holy......"  
  
"Jonathan, would you excuse us?" Alex asked. He nodded and left.  
  
"Wesley, I would like to reinstate you as a Watcher."   
  
"Excuse me?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"Why?" Wesley asked.  
  
"I need eyes and ears out here. If I cannot count on you, tell me. I was also considering hiring Cordelia and Gunn as Guardians."  
  
"What does that mean? Guardians?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Who cares, how much does it pay?"  
  
Alex smiled, she took that as a "yes."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wolfram and Hart's demon vampire detector was very confused a few days later.   
  
"Seal off the building!" the guard hollered into his radio as he raced past Lilah.  
  
Lilah was reading a file as she walked towards her office.  
  
"We think there is a vampire in the building." A guard came up to her.  
  
"He shouldn't try thinking." mumbled Lilah as the lights went out on the entire floor.  
  
"I suggest you stay in your office until we know for sure." The guard suggested.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Who's there?"   
  
"You mean your boss didn't warn you about me?"   
  
"This isn't a game." stated Lilah.   
  
"I don't play games." spoke the voice as the lights came back on.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Lilah asked her chair.   
  
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm in charge now, and all deals you had with Seth are off."  
Aricia, dressed in black jeans with a black velvet shirt, wore her clan colors around her waist, threw a handful of white papers at her.   
"Next on the agenda..." Aricia circled Lilah, "I heard about your little plan to dismember my sister slayer. If you continue to assault her and anyone  
else I know, even if its person I bump into on the street, I will come back and burn down this law firm, with you in it."  
  
"You can't threaten me!" snapped Lilah as she held out a large wood cross.   
  
Aricia began to laugh at the feeble attempt to scare her, she grabbed the cross away and broke Lilah's nose.   
"Senseless acts of violence. I love it." Aricia quipped as security guards rushed in.  
  
"Get her!" growled Lilah staring at the blood dripping on the carpet, the guards rushed forward.   
  
  
"Stop." An angry voice rolled through the room like thunder. "Lilah, go clean yourself up, before you drip anymore blood onto the carpet."  
The older man helped Lilah to the waiting guards outside.  
  
"You know that white hat doesn't suit you." Aricia sat back down in the chair and put her feet up on the desk.  
  
"Miss Drummond." Holland seemed pleased as he looked at the papers, she had scattered.   
When he tried to pick them off the floor they burst into flames.  
  
"You know this vampire?" Security questioned.  
  
"Oh yes, Miss Alexandria "Aricia" Drummond." He sat on the desk facing her. "I see you found the documents."  
  
"Manners, did it ever occur you to not piss me off, seeing now that I'm in a position of great importance?" Aricia smiled sweetly.  
  
"I suppose this visit is strictly business?" Holland seemed to want to ask her something.  
  
"What did you have in mind love?" She eyed him.  
  
"Business over dinner, my treat." He suggested.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You did what????!!!!!!!?" Cordelia shrieked.  
  
"Why in heaven's name would you do that?" Wesley looked her in the eyes.  
  
"I don't have to explain all my actions to you do I?" Alex snapped.  
  
"We're not condemning you for what you did. We'd just like to know why." Angel treaded lightly.  
  
"I was laying the ground rules between our two factions."  
  
"That's not what I saw." Gunn said.  
  
"Are you following me???!!!" Alex yelled.  
  
"You followed her?" Angel was shocked. "Why?"  
  
"Wesley told me to." Gunn said.  
  
"Wesley......" Alex and Angel said at the same time.  
  
"I did nothing wrong."  
  
"You had no right." Angel said quietly after Alex thundered up the steps.  
  
"I had every right." Wesley argued.  
  
"What did you see Gunn?" Angel asked.  
  
"Her and Mr. Manners looking like old friends, until she pour red wine all over him." Angel smiled and then excused himself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You know Dad I really don't get it." Alex sat on the edge of the roof mumbling some more. "I swear if Wesley wasn't still healing I would have..."  
  
"Would have what?"  
  
"I don't know." She sighed as Angel sat down next to her. "Everyone says I'm cranky lately."  
  
"Dying could do that to a person." Angel joked.  
  
"Did Wesley tell you about what happened in London?"  
  
"Only a few things."  
  
"Good." Aricia got up and left for the city below.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
A source had called earlier to tell her that the demon she was looking for, might be on the   
other side of the city, had given her the address, and description  
  
Aricia round the corner and into a tall, purple and red demon.   
"Heard you were looking for me babe." The demon spoke and almost had Aricia holding her ears. Its voice was high pitched and could easily break glass.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"Anyone home?" Angel heard the Host in the lobby. He headed downstairs to see the Host holding up a bloodied, green slimed Alexandria.   
"She yours?" he asked Angel.  
  
"Kinda, she's staying with me while she's here." Angel put the book on the couch, lifted up her chin and looked at the swelling and cuts on her face.   
  
"Angel I....." Alex began as her dislocated shoulder began to ache.  
  
"Go upstairs Alexandria." Angel told her.  
  
"But Angel..." Alex looked like a little girl facing her stern father.  
  
"Go upstairs now."  
  
"Angel..." Still holding her ribs she made one last protest.  
  
"We'll talk about this later." he snapped and pointed to the stairs. "Go and get cleaned up." She headed for the stairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Who's the hell cat?" asked the Host.  
  
"Don't you have to go back to the bar?" asked Angel picking up his book, starting for the stairs.  
  
"No, so who is she? Is she really the young lady that's been striking fear in the minds of all the demons?"  
  
"Maybe. How did you run into her?" He asked the Host.  
  
"Well she kinda fell at my feet."  
  
"I thought there wasn't supposed to be any violence in your bar." Angel said.  
  
"Special circumstances?" Host began the story.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Host had just finished comforting a demon with depression. The past seven weeks had been like   
a mad house, demons of all shapes and sizes were worried about a young lady from London,   
or was it Scotland? He wasn't sure until tonight, a vampire began to sing, she was here in the city, alive.  
The vampire had narrowly escaped with his dead life, he could read that much. If she was who he thought she was, he wondered why she didn't pull a return to sender.  
  
The vampire had just finished the final verse of a classic country song, when a crash and a series of thuds followed. A young lady came tumbling down the stairs,  
a Fyreon Margeiayn demon followed her down. She was bleeding from the jaw and had a swollen eye, and was up in a flash taunting the demon.   
  
The customers fled the scene in a flash. The Host and a few of the bouncers stayed behind to watch the young lady and the demon have it out.   
The bouncers removed the furniture from around them as well as they could.  
  
The demon slammed her against the edge of the bar, ribs first, then Aricia was sent flying over the bar, Host cringed at the breaking noises.   
When the demon looked over the counter, he saw more blood but no slayer.   
  
A tap on his shoulder, turned him around, Aricia ran at him, wrapping her legs around his tree trunk neck and swung him into the nearest wall.   
The demon was on his back, and when she reached him, he exploded, splattering green goo all over the nearest objects.  
  
"Oh EWWW." Alex was disgusted at the green goo dripping from her body. "Guys, you are seriously gonna have to consider telling me everything next time."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Her body had taken a beating from the demon, she was in clean sweat pants and T-shirt with her hair was still dripping from the shower.  
  
She was standing in front of the mirror, staring at her battle scars, when Angel knocked on the door. "Come on in Angel."  
  
He stepped into the room and opened his mouth for a lecture, but thought better of it.  
  
"How many ribs?  
  
She moved faster then her body expected her to, and there was a rather loud pop that came from her left shoulder.   
"At least half of them, aw hell, not again." she groaned. "That's what I get for tangling with a fallen goddess."   
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
She still had that damned chip on her shoulder, he seemed to sympathize with what she was going through. He also hoped that getting her on stage, and that a reading by the Host would help.  
"No WAY!" She turned around and stood face to face with Angel and the others. "No, I don't sing."  
  
"You're going up there." Angel picked her up and dropped her on the stage as the Host stood next to the bar watching her.  
  
"OK, OK." Aricia looked at the song list and made her choice. "If any of you laugh, I'll knock your teeth in."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She finished her song and got off stage. "Sit down honey. The Powers have shown me much more then I expected. "   
  
"That sounds bad." She said to him, sitting across from him.  



End file.
